


A Bond of Sand

by Shamaru



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-05-27 17:01:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6292594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shamaru/pseuds/Shamaru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life's hard enough for a Team Rocket grunt trying to make it as a scientist. It's even harder when said grunt happens to be an Omega at the bottom of the food chain. When Maxie's heat begins to earn him threats and too much unwanted attention, what's he to do? Band together with the burly Alpha who offers him protection? What does he really have to lose?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a Hardenshipping fanfic. I'll try to keep it going since I've got ideas for it, but there may be long pauses between chapters. I'm also still working on Archie's accent so it might change a bit here and there. Hope you enjoy.

The bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed thickly didn’t go unnoticed; he wouldn’t even try to pretend that it did, though he tried to ignore the stares he knew he was receiving.

Maxie knew his fellow scientists were watching him. Even if it was only glances every few minutes he knew they were paying attention to him. Already he stood out among them with his bright red hair and his Hoenn pokémon, but now he had to worry about his own scent gaining too much attention. He should have listened to the few grunts who tried to warn him to keep suppressants on hand when he’d been assigned to work in the tight confines of the labs with the higher ranked scientists. He was just too prideful to actually take the medicines and risk harming his body.

Now he had to deal with every Alpha in the room knowing that his heat was close.

The redhead wasn’t so stupid as to think none of them had known from the very beginning that he was an Omega, but he’d hoped to keep it secret from as many as possible. At a glance anyone could tell he wasn’t an Alpha of all things. He lacked the muscle mass and the height that all Alphas were born with, instead built small and lithe. If he’d, for once, just not worried about side effects and taken the suppressants he’d been given he may have had luck passing for a Beta. Unfortunately Maxie would never take those pills since they’d been known to cause harm and now he had to deal with the consequences. Looks made him nervous, but as long as he wasn’t touched he could handle himself.

“Figured you of all the grunts would know to take your medicine, Max.” One of the older scientists jeered from behind him. Maxie’s brow creased and he tried his best to keep any sort of emotion out of his voice when he turned around to address the other.

“My name is Maxie, not Max. And it’s really none of your business what I do or do not take. Now I would appreciate it if you left me to my work.”

He watched the man’s jaw tighten and tried not to flinch as teeth were suddenly bared in a crooked mockery of a smile. “Really now? Are the rest of us just supposed to stand around and have to endure that smell comin’ off of you? It’s pretty distractin’ after all. One of us might not be able to control ourselves in a few days if you don’t do somethin’ about it.” The ‘smile’ grew wider and this time Maxie didn’t even try to hide his look of disgust.

“How _dare_ you threaten me!”

“What’re ya gonna do about it, sweetheart?” Another man suddenly chimed in, stepping a bit too close and making Maxie back up. “Gonna go tattle on us ta the higher ups? They ain’t gonna do anything. You’re just an Omega. They got better things ta bother with than ya.”

“Better be smart and take your medicine if you know what’s good for you.”

“Wouldn’t wanna see a pretty face like your get hurt now, doll.”

“Maybe ‘e don’t take the pills ‘cause e’s askin’ for it. That what’s goin’ on, Max? You wanna make us lose control?”

The last comment hit like a smack to the face. Maxie slowly turned his head to stare in shock at the one who’d spoken up and took a step back toward the door when he met the gaze of the greasy looking man. How someone like that had landed a scientist’s position Maxie wasn’t sure. He didn’t care much either. At the moment the man’s leering grin and earlier questions were making the Omega incredibly uncomfortable and he just wanted to leave the room.

“I need to go.” Maxie informed them in flat monotone. The group smirked almost in unison, a feat that sent a wave of chills up Maxie’s spine.

“Yeah. You run along, sweetheart.”

“We’ll still be ‘ere when ya get back.”

“Better make sure ta take your medicine, Max. If you’re smart.”

The Omega didn’t turn his back until he was safely out in the hall with the lab doors closed in front of him. Suddenly the wave of disgust and fear he felt in the room caught up to him and he clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle any sound he might have made. The worst part was that he knew it was true the higher ups wouldn’t pay his discomfort any mind. Even if the scientists were to try anything on him they still would only laugh or tell him it was his fault somehow. He’d seen it before enough on the news. Besides, he worked for Team Rocket. They did worse than assaulting Omegas on a daily basis. That bit of information did nothing to ease his fears. If anything it only made his anxiety rise that much more.

“Hey there, Maxie!”

The sudden almost booming voice in the quiet hallway made the red haired scientist jump and whip around to see who had called him. Standing a few feet away with a grin plastered to his face, amusement at Maxie’s reaction no doubt, was a single grunt with whom Maxie had come to know over his course of employment. Instead of the starched white of lab coats which was most common on their floor this grunt wore the telltale black uniform with its single bold ‘R’ logo on the shirt. At a single glance it was clear that his job involved heavy lifting and, likely, not much work where smarts were concerned. The grunt was built with muscle to spare and an almost imposing height when placed next to the Omega scientist. Another Alpha that Maxie was sure was all brawn and no brain per the norm as he’d seen in every single other Rocket Alpha.

It wasn’t that he necessarily disliked the dark skinned grunt, but he held onto a feeling of annoyance any time the man was around. Almost from the first time they’d met the taller grunt had seemed to shadow the scientist, always showing up wherever Maxie went. The redhead could have been completely alone in a hall, much as had been the case only minutes before, and the other would show up out of nowhere. It was almost enough to drive Maxie crazy with the way the other constantly tried to play buddy-buddy with him. After all, he’d learned that when it came to Rockets there was almost never a case where friendship came free.

“Hello, Archibald.” Maxie finally sighed out once the other seemed to have had his fill of grinning at the scientist. “I do believe I’ve asked you not to sneak up on me like that.” At least a handful of times, he was sure. 

The muscular grunt at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed, though not enough for Maxie’s liking. “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. Thought ya were just steppin’ outta the room. Didn’t know ya were lost in thought enough that a friendly ‘hello’ would spook ya.” Archie smiled then and brought a fist up toward the side of his head in order to point a thumb over his shoulder. “I came up ta ask if you’d maybe wanna come with me ta lunch? Didn’t see ya around fer breakfast. Figured ya’d probably skipped.” 

Strange, Maxie thought, that the man had been looking around for him at meal times.

“Yes, well, I can’t make it to lunch. I’ve got things to do.” Maxie informed his companion.

“Aw c’mon, Maxie! Skippin’ meals ain’t good fer ya.”

“I’ve been skipping meals for years with no ill harm. I’ll just grab something for dinner later.”

“Ya really should come mingle with the groups though. Ye're a grunt too, right? I can introduce ya ta some friends and we can have a great time.”

“Mm, no. I have no interest in mingling with anyone. Least of all a group of sweaty overworked grunts”

“Well what if-“

“Archie, I said no!”

“Is it because ye’re close ta peaking?”

That comment made Maxie freeze in place. He had just made his way past the other, Archie following him down the hall, and his sudden stop caused the taller man to walk right into his back. The redhead was quick to jolt forward to stop their bodies from touching and he quickly rounded on Archie, stabbing a finger out at the Alpha. The desire to stab that finger against Archie’s chest was there, but he restrained himself from doing that.

“Don’t.” The single word came out as a whispered hiss, a slight panicked fear laced in his tone. “Don’t. I don’t need to be reminded of my impending time by every single Arceus damned Alpha in this facility. Yes, I am close. No, that does not give you or anyone else the right to oh so casually bring it up as a way to dismiss my refusal to do anything. I am growing so sick and tired of you lot thinking you can dismiss my every word by asking if I’m in heat!” When his own words caught up to him Maxie groaned and put a hand to his forehead. He didn’t mean to begin a rant there. He especially didn’t mean to begin a rant to an Alpha of all people. It wasn’t like they cared much about what an Omega felt. They thought they were so clever coming up with their heat jokes.

Instead of a second dismissal of his words or even a backlash as he expected, Archie genuinely surprised the Omega with a worried and confused look coupled with both arms going up in a surrendering position.

“Whoa, whoa. Calm down, Maxie. I didn’t mean any offence by it.” Archie sighed through his nose and slowly lowered his arms, gesturing again down the hall with an open palm. “It really was just a question. If it bothers ya bein’ in a full room when yer close then I’d like ta know so I don’t feel like an ass later fer trying ta make ya go.”

That was actually surprising. Maxie was rarely surprised by Alphas, but Archie had just thrown his whole thought process for a loop. He was still cautious of the muscular grunt, but the man had just earned himself a few points at least. “…well it makes me very uncomfortable.” He finally answered after a long pause. Those few words seemed to break the tension that had started forming and Archie smiled once again.

“Alright. That’s all I need ta know. But I’m not lettin’ ya skip meals, Maxie!” Archie was suddenly the picture of determination striking a pose as the over eager grunts were known to do when challenging others to battle. “I’m gonna head ta the cafeteria and get us both a tray. I’m gonna hope ya go up ta yer room ‘cause that’s where I’m gonna drop yer food. Don’t let it go ta waste!” Without waiting for a reply the grunt suddenly turned and dashed off down the hall leaving a stunned and slightly confused Maxie behind. For a few minutes he simply stood there staring down the empty hall. Then the scientist found himself laughing unexpectedly. With an amused shake of his head he continued on down the hallway and made his way to his own room through the corridors of cramped grunt’s rooms.

Maybe he would give that Alpha a chance after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this got a lot more attention already than I thought it would. You guys are all seriously great! Hopefully it keeps your interest in the coming chapters.

“So I’ve been thinkin’.”

“Oh? That’s certainly new.”

“Shut up, Maxie!”

The two grunts shared a chuckle after their exchange, Maxie following up with a squeak as Archie tossed a chair cushion at him that smacked the side of his face. Regaining his posture and fixing his glasses from their askew position, Maxie shot a weak glare toward his companion. Archie for the most part simply looked too amused to be bothered by much at that point.

It had been a few days since they had met in the lab halls and the two had already become close friends. Maxie found that the muscular grunt would appear at times when he was needed; whether that be when Maxie was faced with perverted coworkers or simply when he found himself alone in this spare time he could count on the other showing up. It was a funny thing to think that the redhead had gone from trying to avoid this particular man and only wishing to be alone to looking forward to the evening visits. Archie was different even in just the sense that he didn’t seem to want anything from Maxie. He simply seemed to enjoy the company. Maxie hadn’t fully dropped his guard though. He wasn’t ready to entirely trust the taller grunt just yet.

“Anyway,” Archie began again, “I really have been thinkin’, no joke. What’re ya gonna do when yer heat rolls around? I mean it’s gotta be close, right?”

That caught Maxie off guard.

The scientist was silent as he slowly turned his head to stare down at his desk where he’d been filling out paperwork only minutes before. Honestly he hadn’t put much thought into what he would do when the day came, trying to stay blissfully unaware and enjoy his new found friendship with Archie. He knew it was only a matter of time now and something had to be done. Already he’d caught himself spacing out and even once following an Alpha’s scent halfway down a hallway. “Honestly, Archie? I have no idea.” He admitted after a quiet pause.

Logically the scientist knew he had to come up with a solution to the issue soon. He’d really just been losing himself in his new found friendship and ignoring the problem - a lot like he used to do when his heat first became a thing long before joining Team Rocket. Ah, to have the simpler days of being safe in his own home with his parents to watch over him when the threat of attracting Alphas grew near. Now though he was on his own with this issue and had nowhere to hide faced with an entire facility of raging Alpha Rockets.

The dark skinned man frowned at his companion’s words and leaned back in his chair as he crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s not good.” He muttered quietly. “And ya still won’t take any meds?”

“No.” Maxie replied with a tone of finality. “Much as I know that’s an idiotic idea. I’d rather not take the risks of harming myself with medication. Especially in this place. I wouldn’t be surprised if the suppressants here were homemade.” He shook his head and sighed through his nose. Everything lately was so troublesome.

The two lapsed into a somewhat awkward silence after that. Neither quite knew what to say to the other since the topic of heat had been brought up. Maxie began to go back to his paperwork again while the muscular grunt sitting on the opposite side of his desk seemed to lose himself in his thoughts. Silence lingered between them for several minutes, the only sound being the scratch of pen on paper, then Archie spoke up.

“What if… What if ya stay with me fer the course ‘a yer heat, Maxie?”

The redhead froze with those words, looking up at the grunt as if he’d just issued a threat upon the scientist. “Archie…” Maxie swallowed down the sudden tenseness in his voice and cleared his throat as he glanced down to his papers. If he didn’t make eye contact he felt a bit safer. “We both know I can’t do that. You’re an Alpha.”

“Yeah, and? I’m an Alpha offerin’ ta protect ya while yer vulnerable. In case ya haven’t noticed, Maxie, I’m likely the biggest guy in this sector. Nobody messes with me.” Archie’s voice held a proudness to it and the smile he wore coupled with the way he inflated himself slightly told Maxie that he had all the confidence in the world to back up his words. The display was nice, especially seeing those muscles expanded, but the Omega had to think realistically. Even if the emerging heat addling his mind was whispering that he should crawl right over his desk to get a feel of those muscles. It was a good thing he wasn't so far into his heat that he still had control of himself. Any further along and he might have actually listened to that little voice.

He shook his head slightly to clear those thoughts. No matter what he had to keep himself focused.

“Honestly I appreciate the offer. Having a bodyguard would be a great benefit, especially one with a physique such as yours. I can’t argue that you’re not the most physically fit grunt I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Arceus above, he already wanted to stop his flow of words just with the beaming smile Archie gave him at that. “But you’re also an Alpha and that in itself presents a danger to me, you understand. I’m an Omega, Archie. An Omega about to enter heat.”

“Yeah, I know. That’s the whole reason we’re tryin’ ta figure somethin’ out. I’m not stupid, Maxie.”

“Then you should realize how pointless it is when an Alpha offers ‘protection’ to an Omega going into heat.”

At that Archie’s eyes narrowed slightly and his smile faded into a frown. Maxie wanted very much for the smile to return. “Are ya tryin’ ta say somethin’ there, Maxie? ‘Cause it sounds ta me like ya might be sayin’ I’d take advantage of ya. Ya really think I would?”

Maxie groaned and tilted his head in order to plant his face into the palm of a raised hand. “Archie, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Not that I’m necessarily saying it would be your fault. I’m saying that instinct is hard to curb in this situation. When an unclaimed Omega enters their heat all nearby Alphas-”

“Save me the school lecture, Maxie!”

Archie’s sudden outburst effectively silenced the other, Maxie freezing and his eyes going wide. The redhead’s breath caught in his throat and his heart thumped in his chest. For a fleeting moment the dark skinned man looked ready to vault the desk and strangle him. The look was quickly shattered when Archie sighed and flopped forward in his chair to hang his head nearly between his legs. Still Maxie remained tense. He blinked slowly a minute later when Archie hadn’t moved, just noticing that his hand had strayed to the pokéballs on his belt. Slowly the Omega forced himself to relax in his seat. After a tense few minutes he spoke up in a shaky voice no louder than a whisper. “You honestly think you could go against instinct and not lay a hand on me even once during my heat, Archie?”

His words made the Alpha’s head raise and Maxie could see genuine guilt in his eyes. Slowly Archie nodded, a tiny smile pulling his lips upward. “Sure could.” He announced softly. “Just need the chance ta show ya.”

“I’m still not convinced…”

“What other option do ya have? Ya already said ya weren’t takin’ meds for it. An’ ya know the higher ups won’t do shit ta help ya.”

“I know…”

“Just let me help ya, Maxie.”

“I…”

The two sat quietly as Maxie thought over his options. He could refuse the offer of protection and be on his own during his heat. That would involve at least an entire week, perhaps longer, of being chased and running from every Alpha who caught his scent. Already he was faced with several Alphas once he had to return to the labs and those doors could be locked. Realistically he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance with the odds stacked against him like that.

On the other hand he could take Archie’s offer. Either way he knew his scent would start fights between Alphas, but Archie was the most muscular Alpha in the building. The grunt could likely give anyone he might encounter a run for their money. Perhaps having Archie’s protection would increase his chances of getting through his heat unharmed. He still didn’t count out the idea of Archie taking advantage of instinct once his mind was heat fogged, but the rational part of his mind was telling him that being jumped by one Alpha was better than being assaulted by who knew how many. Though the thought terrified him it was logically the best option he had at the moment.

“I suppose you might be right, Archie. I… I can’t just do nothing. That would be the worst thing to do.” Maxie paused to take a deep breath before looking up at the other. The expression on relief on Archie’s face momentarily took the scientist by surprise. “W-What’s that look for?”

“Huh?” The grunt glanced away for a moment and chuckled quietly before looking back to his companion. “I’m just glad yer agreein' ta take my offer. I just don’t wanna see ya get hurt.”

“W-Well then… You’d better do your best to make sure I stay unharmed then!” Suddenly the redhead’s face felt suspiciously warm. He turned his eyes to a side wall and crossed his arms, huffing as he caught the sound of Archie trying to stifle a laugh. Much as he tried to keep his expression in the form of a scowl, Maxie soon found himself smiling.

He found himself hoping that Archie really could keep his word.


	3. Chapter 3

“Get out ‘a here!”

Archie glared at the small group of grunts he’d spooked as they bolted away from his door. A frustrated sigh left him once he was alone in the hall. Those grunts were getting bold.

With another huff Archie pulled a key from his pocket, glad he’d let Maxie talk him into installing a lock on his door. It wasn’t exactly allowed, but there hadn’t been an admin in their sector to investigate anything for months so neither of them were worried much. Archie looked around to make sure he was alone before unlocking the door and stepping inside. Almost instantly he was greeted with a shrill shriek and the feeling of something colliding with his face, blocking his vision completely. Though he flinched, he felt proud of himself for not stumbling back out the door or making any noise. Two days of entering his own room and being assaulted like that had him used to it.

“Alright, alright, it’s just me. C’mon now.”

Gently the muscular man pried the tiny zubat off his face, chuckling when his fingers were nipped. Maxie’s zubat was tiny; the tiniest one Archie had ever seen. With its wings stretched out it just barely covered the palm of his hand. He was so sure the pokemon was just extremely young, but Maxie had told him he’d had the bat for years. The redhead had said he thought his pokemon might have been a runt. It didn’t stop the creature from behaving like a much bigger pokemon though.

Archie smiled as his roommate’s pokemon fussed over him for a few minutes before deeming him worthy of entering the room, landing on his shoulder with a soft chirp. The Rocket turned to lock his door behind him then pocketed his key. Maxie had made him swear to keep that key in his pocket at all times. He wasn’t allowed to so much as leave it on a countertop. He couldn’t fault the Omega for his paranoia.

“Maxie?” he called out. “Yer zubat says I’m free ta enter. Where are ya?”

Instead of a greeting from the redhead as he’d expected, Archie soon spotted another of Maxie’s pokemon peeking out at him from a doorway.

“Hey there, Ves. Is Maxie in there?” The little numel nodded and turned around to trot back into the room. A soft fwoosh sound telling Archie the pokemon had just started up a fire in its hump. Peeking into the room, Archie smiled after catching sight of his roommate.

Maxie sat propped up on ‘his’ bed (Archie had taken to sleeping on a cot outside the room) with a book in his hands. Their two poochyenas lay asleep on either side of the redhead and Archie’s zubat rested on the headboard above the Omega’s head. It was a peaceful scene and Archie felt a warmth in his chest bloom as he simply stood in the doorway and watched.

“I do know you’re there, Archie. I heard you talking to Vesuvius.” Maxie smiled and glanced up from his book, slipping a bookmark between the pages before closing it. “Don’t just stand there like an idiot. Come in and sit down.”

The taller grunt chuckled and did as he was told, plopping down on the edge of the bed. The sudden motion woke the two poochyenas and Archie laughed as they suddenly bolted toward him to attack with barks of greeting and slobbery puppy kisses. His pokemon crawled onto his lap and rolled onto its back in a demand for belly rubs which Archie was glad to give.

While he was focused on the two puppies, he heard Maxie chuckle softly and another bloom of warmth sprouted in his chest. Though the redhead had seemed more at ease since they’d moved him into Archie’s room, to hear him laugh was still a rare thing. Archie liked when Maxie smiled and laughed. He liked those few moments when Maxie cuddled up to him too. The redhead always assured him his cuddling was simply to pick up a bit of the Alpha’s scent, but Archie enjoyed it either way.

Alas, all good things came to an end as they both knew and their moment of peace had to be interrupted.

“There were more of them at the door again.” Maxie said in a quiet voice. “I think one of them tried to pick the lock.”

Archie frowned at that and felt a possessive growl rising in his chest. He had to squash it down, clearing his throat to mask it. He didn’t want to frighten his roommate away with displays of possessiveness. He had to remember Maxie wasn’t his.

“If anyone gets in just have Ves burn ‘em. Ya hear that, Ves? Ya burn anyone who comes in that ain’t me ‘r Maxie. Got that?” The numel looked up at Archie with a determined expression, braying and lighting up its hump with a tiny burst of flame. Maxie simply shook his head, though his amused expression told the taller man that he enjoyed the idea.

“Much as I would love to roast a few grunts, I do need to take more caution than that. If an admin were to catch word that an unruly Omega was setting Alphas on fire I could land in some serious trouble.” The redhead sighed and held a hand out as his zubat flitted from Archie’s shoulder to seek its owner’s attention. Maxie stroked the tiny bat’s back gently as Archie watched him silently, the two lapsing into a comfortable silence.

Archie’s mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried to think of something to say. He wanted to tell Maxie that he’d kill those grunts for him, but he was sure that would only make Maxie angry or worried. He could say that he’d tail Maxie throughout the day and make sure he stayed safe, but that sounded somewhat possessive. He had his own job to do too and couldn’t risk being shipped off somewhere else if he didn’t show up. Finally he figured he’d found something to say.

“I could take time off ta stay with ya. Ya know the whole time off thing fer Alphas ta be with their Omegas thing?”

“Time off is for bonded pairs only, Archie. I’ve read the forms for that.”

“Damn.” Archie frowned and snapped his fingers.

The dark skinned grunt huffed as he flopped onto his back, the poochyenas hopping off the bed and rushing out of the room. Maxie watched them and half smiled when the two peeked back into the room and began letting out a chorus of barks and whines.

“Must be dinner time. Eh, boys? Ya hungry?” Archie laughed as his question was answered with louder barks and the added chirps of the two zubats now circling his head. “Alright, alright! Let’s get these guys all fed before they eat us, Max!” He turned to extend a hand to the redhead, helping him up off the bed and smiling when Maxie’s hand stayed in his a few moments longer than necessary.

The two grunts made their way to a tiny space they had labeled the dining area and Maxie fished out their pokemons’ food bowls while Archie unlocked a cabinet to pull out a bag of chow. They had to keep it locked up or the poochyena would get into it and eat until they got sick. It hadn’t been a fun day for anyone when they discovered that little fact.

Once the pokemon were content and tucking into their meals, the two grunts made their way back toward the bedroom. Maxie smiled as he stepped into the room, Archie standing just outside, and handed the taller man his sleepwear. Archie had no shame when it came to changing clothes in the hallway. It was his room after all.

“G’night, Maxie. Sweet dreams.”

“You too. Good night, Archie.”

Just as Archie leaned down to lay his clothes on the edge of his cot he noticed his roommate leaning toward him. He glanced up just in time to catch Maxie planting a kiss on his cheek, the redhead smiling, taking a step back, and closing the bedroom door quietly a moment later.

The warmth in Archie’s chest burst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this chapter I've hit a choice to make: continue on with a peaceful route a while longer, or throw in some conflict?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken a while to get this chapter up, everyone. My PC and laptop both decided to die on me and I got banned from the house computer by my girlfriend's mother for a really petty reason. I'm pretty much sneaking on the computer while she's at work just to post this. I'll see if I can use my girlfriend's laptop to write from now on when she's not online playing WoW. She's pretty much glued to the screen though so it may be a while before the next chapter is up. Until then I hope you're all enjoying the story so far!

Over the next few days things were surprisingly peaceful. Fewer grunts tried the locked door and Archie’s Alpha scent had grown to mask the smell of Omega near the entrance. It seemed to work as a deterrent to anyone who didn’t actually know Maxie was living with the other grunt. Added to that, the redhead had managed to pick up a bit of Archie’s scent and the lower ranking Alphas were wary to mess with the scientist after catching a whiff of it on him. The scent wasn’t strong enough to deter the higher ups, but less harassment was still that much less to worry about.

However, with the good news came a problem. Maxie’s own scent was growing stronger with each passing day.

The smell of an Omega close to heat had taken over Archie’s bedroom to the point that he could no longer stay within for long. There had been several times already where the smell had gotten to him and he’d had to quickly leave to keep himself under control. Sometimes Maxie would apologize, but Archie was quick to tell him he didn’t need to. He couldn’t control his body’s natural reactions after all. Still, the Omega scent was becoming a very real problem very quickly.

Sometimes Archie would come back to find his roommate locked in the bathroom with the shower running. From the sounds of whining and moaning behind the door the dark skinned grunt knew it wasn’t always just that Maxie needed a simple shower. And from having to deal with his own pheromone induced lust behind that same door Archie knew what it was like. He could deal with it, but the more time went by the more embarrassed Maxie seemed to become. Sometimes the redhead avoided eye contact with Archie for entire evenings after finishing his showers.

Somehow the two made things work though. Maxie had full reign of the bedroom and Archie kept himself occupied with anything he could to keep his brain too busy to really get caught up in pheromones. It wasn’t a perfect setup, but it was good enough for them.

That was until Maxie began to stay locked up in the bedroom instead of leaving to do his job.

When day three of one less scientist showing up rolled around, there came a sharp knocking on Archie’s door. Hesitantly the room’s owner answered and found himself both worried and surprised to find one of the Executives standing outside the door.

“Evening… Archie, was it?” The man smiled and tapped his finger against the lock on the door. “That’s not allowed down here now is it? But don’t worry about it. I won’t report you.”

Archie swallowed thickly and tried to keep himself looking relaxed. He had nothing to hide and nothing to worry about. Yet if that was the case then why the sudden visit?

“Petrel, sir,” he began slowly, “If I may? What’s the visit fer? I’m not, uh, in any trouble am I?”

The executive chuckled quietly and shook his head. Archie relaxed slightly, but didn’t let his guard down. He wasn’t as on edge as he could have been since Petrel wasn’t an Alpha and that helped greatly. The executive had a more relaxed aura, a natural thing with Betas. Still, a nagging in the back of his mind kept Archie’s attention fully on the slightly shorter man.

“If I’m not in trouble, sir, then why…?”

“I’m here to collect your roommate. He’s been skipping out on his work and someone wants to have a little chat with him about it.”

Hearing that caused a chill to run down Archie’s spine. He’d had no idea Maxie wasn’t leaving the room at all lately, too caught up in his own work to notice. His worry had seeped into his expression and Petrel’s smile dipped into a slight frown seeing it. The purple haired executive reached a hand up to scratch the back of his neck and glanced away for a brief moment.

“Look, word gets around quickly so I know you two have been pretty friendly lately. I’m a nice guy so I’ll give you something to ease your mind, alright?” Petrel’s easy smile returned once he caught a hopeful look break through the grunt’s worry. “Maxie’s not headed for the big boss and this is his first offence so he’s likely just in for a scolding. Besides, his files make him seem like one of our brightest scientists. He’ll come back in one piece by the end of the night.”

Despite the worry still nagging at him, Petrel’s words did put Archie at ease slightly. The grunt breathed a heavy sigh and nodded his head after a few moments.

“I’ll go get ‘im fer ya then.”

He turned to head down the short hall and knocked lightly on the bedroom door, surprised when Maxie answered almost instantly. The fresh wave of Omega pheromones that fanned out of the room smacked Archie in the face and the muscular grunt sucked in a sharp breath before quickly taking a step back. The redhead didn’t seem to actually notice him for a moment, somewhat foggy eyes squinted at his roommate. Soon enough his eyes cleared and a look of confusion crossed his face, gone in a flash as Petrel cleared his throat from the doorway.

“Come on, Maxie. We don’t want to keep Proton waiting.” The executive stated, still smiling almost happily.

“Proton?” Maxie repeated dumbly as he glanced between Petrel and Archie. His roommate shrugged as the purple haired man nodded. “Oh…”

“It’ll be alright, Max.” Archie smiled when he had his friend’s attention. “Petrel says yer gonna get scolded fer missin’ work, but it shouldn’t be too bad. We’re talkin’ about that when ya get back by the way.”

“Ah… Yes, work…” Maxie ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes for a brief pause. When he looked up again he shuffled in place a moment longer before deciding to just get things over with. He gave Archie another glance before turning and making his way out the door to follow after Petrel as the executive lead him off.

Archie watched them wander down the hall and couldn’t help smiling slightly as the executive loudly told off a grunt getting too close to Maxie. Yeah, he figured he could trust the safety of his roommate to the executive Beta. But as the two rounded the corner and disappeared from his sight, a feeling of dread began to settle in the pit of his stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with a longer chapter than normal. Even if it's still not all that long. Prepare to feel bad for Maxie though.

Maxie wasn’t sure just how long he’d been standing outside of Proton’s office for. If he strained his ears he could hear the executive inside murmuring to himself, though he couldn’t pinpoint the specific tone the man was using. After another minute of simply listening the voice suddenly cut off and Maxie swallowed thickly as a quiet chuckle caught his attention.

“I can smell you out there, Omega.” Proton’s voice practically sang out. “Door’s open. Get in here.”

The red haired scientist wasted no more time in entering the room. There were stories among the grunts of what would happen should someone refuse to obey Proton quickly enough.

The office behind the door wasn’t as fancy as Maxie had slightly expected. It looked a lot like a bigger version of his own lab, though there were a few pieces here and there suited to making a higher up more comfortable on the job. He felt a bit envious of the other after spying a coffee machine tucked into a corner of a desk. 

A moment went by before Proton suddenly cleared his throat, Maxie jumping slightly at the sound and whipping his eyes to the executive.

“You’ve been missing work from what I’ve been told. That’s no good seeing as you’re one of our top minds. I’d expect this from some lowly grunt, but you? It’s a disgrace.” The executive glared at Maxie until the redhead glanced away. Proton smirked seeing the Omega visibly cowed by a simple glance. “Normally I’d have you flogged for this.” Maxie couldn’t help sucking in a sharp breath at that. “But I’ve been in a pretty good mood today, so we’ll keep the whip tucked away for now.”

The scientist allowed himself to relax only slightly. Not being whipped was an extremely lucky turn of events considering the man he was dealing with, but there had to be some catch. Proton wasn’t the type to let anyone off with only a warning.

“…dare I ask what my punishment will be then, sir?” Maxie asked hesitantly.

The widened grin from the teal haired executive and the sudden predatory look in the man’s eyes caused Maxie to shiver.

…

Archie hummed quietly as he began feeding his and Maxie’s pokemon, glancing toward the door once the bowls were full. He was worried. Maxie had been gone for almost an hour now. A simple talk with an executive shouldn’t have lasted near that long. 

He shook his head and frowned as he turned away from the door. Maybe he was just being overly concerned. Petrel had already reassured him that Maxie wasn’t in any serious trouble and he just had to believe that. There wasn’t much else he could do anyway. It wasn’t like he was in any position to just walk into the executive’s office and see for himself what was going on. Much as he wanted to just to make sure his friend was safe.

Just as he was beginning to think about tucking in for the night, the door to his room began to rattle with an intense flurry of knocks. Whoever was on the other side had to have been practically throwing themselves into those hits judging by how hard each one was.

“Alright, alright, I’m comin’!” Archie shouted, slightly annoyed when his voice didn’t cause the other to stop attacking his door.

As soon as the muscular grunt opened the door his mouth opened to tell whoever was there off, but before he could so much as utter a sound someone barreled right past him. A moment later he realized that person had been his roommate.

“Maxie?”

“Close the door!”

Archie’s brows knit together in worry hearing the clear terror in Maxie’s voice.

“Hey now, what’s wrong?” He closed and locked the door before turning and advancing on his friend, pausing when the redhead flinched away from him. He took a closer look at the other and his worried expression darkened. The Omega’s hair was ruffled and his clothes were sloppily hanging off his frame, his entire body shaking and fresh tear tracks lining his cheeks.

“What happened? Maxie, tell me what happened.”

The shorter man choked on his breath, a noise that told Archie he was trying not to openly sob. 

Frightened or not the dark-skinned man suddenly shifted forward and grabbed his roommate, pulling him close and crushing him to his chest even as Maxie yowled and struggled against him. Archie grit his teeth as the scientist’s sharp nails caught the sensitive underside of his arm hard enough to almost draw blood, but still he hung on. His pain seemed worth it moments later when Maxie broke down and suddenly clutched him like a lifeline.

“P-Proton…” He spit the name out after another choked sob, grip on Archie tightening all the more. “I… He… He tried to…”

A pang of cold dread caught Archie and his chest seized as his mind conjured up the worst ways in which that sentence could be finished.

“Th-They’ll kill me, Archie.”

“Slow down, Max. Nobody’s gonna kill ya.” 

“The higher ups will.”

“Hey, hey… Why’re ya talkin’ like that, Max?”

Maxie sniffed and reached up to wipe one of his eyes, his glasses sliding up the bridge of his nose with the action. He took a few moments to compose himself as best he could then looked up at the Alpha’s concerned face.

“B-Because I… I stabbed him, Archie…”

“Wait, what?” Archie’s eyes widened. “Ya _stabbed him_?”

“It was self-defense, I swear!”

“What exactly happened, Maxie? Tell me everythin’ that happened!”

Maxie sucked in a shuddering breath as Archie waited, wiping his eyes once more and staring at his roommate’s chest rather than his eyes before he spoke. He didn’t feel like he could hold Archie’s eyes for his story.

_“…dare I ask what my punishment will be then, sir?” Maxie asked hesitantly._

_The widened grin from the teal haired executive and the sudden predatory look in the man’s eyes caused Maxie to shiver._

_“I wouldn’t call it a punishment, not exactly.” Proton leaned back in his chair as if he had no care in the world and propped his feet up on his desk. “It’ll work out in your favor too. Now come have a seat and we’ll discuss things.”_

_Maxie was slow to move toward the seat in front of the desk up until the spark of annoyance showed itself on the executive’s face. After that he quickly took a seat and was relieved to see the other’s expression return to a relaxed look._

_“Now then. You’re missing work because of this whole Omega thing, yes? You’re not the first and won’t be the last, I assure you. But we can’t let you off the hook just for something like Mother Nature running her course. We’re not a charity after all.”_

_Proton smirked again and rose from his chair, shooting Maxie a look that kept the Omega pinned to his seat. “So the way I see things is we need to fix your problem. And you’ve already shown you won’t take medicine to fix it yourself. Which leads us to the next best thing.” The executive had slowly been making his way around Maxie’s chair and in a sudden move he’d invaded the scientist’s personal space, gripping the arms of the chair and effectively trapping the redhead there. “We need to set you up with an Alpha and let nature takes its course.”_

_The color drained from Maxie’s face as he listened to the teal haired man speak. He could only stare in wide eyed shock at the other for a long pause. When he finally found his voice he hated that it sounded so meek._

_“I assure you, sir, I don’t need an Alpha.”_

_“Oh, I believe you do.” Proton sneered. He suddenly lashed out to grab Maxie’s uniform and hoisted the Omega out of his seat with seemingly little effort. Maxie hated that he gasped and he hated that his body responded positively to the display of strength with a fresh burst of pheromones._

_“You see, little Omega,” The executive began again, “You’ve been driving quite a few Alphas crazy walking around with your scent. I must admit I’ve had my eyes on you early after you presented as well. You’ve got such a sweet scent and you’re easy on the eyes unlike most of the lot of grunts you group yourself with. So I’m going to keep you for myself. Locked up in my office where no other Alpha can so much as look at you. You’ll be my pretty little pet until that heat of yours is done. If you’re good I’ll even think about getting you a room right next to mine with all the comforts you could want.”_

_He leaned in close to the now squirming scientist, pressing his nose to the hollow of Maxie’s throat and breathing in the Omega’s scent deeply. Maxie had frozen, shaking lightly and letting out a soft whimper. He didn’t want this, but knew Proton wouldn’t listen to his concerns. So he stayed frozen in the Alpha’s grip and listened to the man babble on with his honey laced words and tolerated the executive’s touch up until a cold hand snaked beneath his coat and tried to pop the button on his pants. In that moment Maxie jerked forward, startling Proton long enough to escape from his grip and make a dash for the door. His plan of escape failed moments later when he was roughly pulled back by the collar of his shirt, the force choking him for a moment._

_“Now, now. You haven’t been dismissed yet.” Proton’s sickeningly sweet voice cooed almost playfully in his ear. “Now be a good little Omega and stop fighting.”_

_That, of course, was the opposite of what Maxie did._

_He thrashed as Proton pulled him close again and lashed out, catching the executive across the face with his nails. The teal haired man hissed in pain and suddenly threw Maxie, the scientist catching himself and quickly getting up from where he’d fallen. A moment later he jumped out of the way as a knife whizzed toward him._

_“You ungrateful little bitch!” Proton roared, stalking toward the scientist and nailing him in the gut with a punch. Instantly Maxie went down in a ball of agony and clutched his gut as the executive loomed above him. When he could glance up he was momentarily pleased to see that his attack had drawn blood in an arced cut across one of Proton’s cheeks. His momentary joy was cut short by a swift kick to his arms still covering his stomach. The pain made him groan and he tried to roll onto his stomach to protect himself. Proton wouldn’t allow that, however._

_Maxie soon found himself rolled onto his back with an angry Alpha sitting on his legs. Proton’s teeth were bared and Maxie could only curl up so far to try to protect himself as best he could. As he lay shaking and waiting for the next blow he found nothing happening. After a moment he peered up again, having closed his eyes, and swallowed thickly as he locked gazes with Proton. The executive was grinning widely down at him._

_“I’ve got to say,” Proton began with an amused tone, “I’ve heard that some Omegas fight back to make an Alpha prove their worth, but I didn’t expect that. You drew blood, darling.” Maxie felt ill just hearing that honey laced voice calling him a pet name. “But I beat you fair and square and proved I’m more than capable of handling you. Now it’s high time I take my prize.”_

_Maxie yelped as his pants were jerked on, the button popping open with a loud snap. He still didn’t want this, but he couldn’t fight again. That’s when he remembered the knife and turned his head to find it within arm’s reach. With Proton distracted and thinking that Maxie’s fight had left him, the Omega quickly reached out and took hold of the knife._

“And then I stabbed him until he stopped trying to kill me…”

Archie had been silent through the entire story, his eyes wide in shock as he simply stared at his roommate. “Holy shit, Max…”

The scientist said nothing and instead clutched Archie tightly again. He still couldn’t look the taller man in the eyes and Archie could feel the terror and shame rolling off the Omega. Neither of them said anything for a long while. Then suddenly the Alpha frowned and stood, scooping Maxie off his feet as the scientist squeaked.

“I think it’s time we left Team Rocket, Max.”


End file.
